Rob Corddry is the Jessica Chastain of male comic character actors. No, seriously, hear us out. Aside from being tremendously busy writing, producing and starring in “Children’s Hospital,” he’s got a strong pack of movies on the horizon, including “Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World,” “Butter,” “Warm Bodies” and “Rapturepalooza.” Dude is going to everywhere and now he’s adding another gig to his schedule.
The actor will come aboard “Pain And Gain” aka “The Movie Michael Bay Is Going To Make Before Transformers 4.” Based on an article in the Miami New Times, the film is a dark comedy about a couple of Floridian bodybuilders (Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg) who kidnap, rob and leave for dead a wealthy businessman. But their plans take a twist when their victim survives and hires a P.I. to help him exact revenge. Corddry will play John Mese, an ex-bodybuilder-turned-accountant and notary who now runs the gym where Wahlberg’s character works, and unwillingly gets caught up in his scheme.
The movie has been a long-gestating dream project for Bay, and it will be quite the change of pace for the helmer as he reveals he’ll be leaving his explosions at home, and he’s been inspired by two pretty prominent indie film sensations. “I just love the characters,” he told EW about his attraction to the movie. “It’s these guys that work in a gym, and nothing is good enough, do you know what I mean? The pump is not good enough. They are all looking for the American dream. They end up kidnapping. It’s like a mixture of ‘Fargo‘ and ‘Pulp Fiction‘ and it’s all true. And they’re all knuckleheads. It’s a fun character piece. No action. One car crash.”
It’s actually pretty great to hear him this inspired about something so outside his wheelhouse, and we’ll be fascinated to see what the helmer does working beyond his comfort zone of big bang spectacle. “Pain And Gain” starts shooting this spring. [Variety]